Whatever may be the reason for stopping breast feeding, it is necessary for your body to slowly wean away from breast milk production. As your body becomes accustomed to producing milk, you will find that it is quite difficult to stop production of breast milk. Once you decide to wean your baby, you should be prepared for the consequences. You will feel uncomfortable and it will take several weeks, if not months, for stopping the production of breast milk completely.

       If you are interested in stopping production of breast milk, there are certain things you can do to stop as well as expedite the process.

- You have to wean your baby gradually. This will allow your body to slow down the milk production gradually until it comes to a complete halt. 

- You can pump or express milk manually so that you do not feel uncomfortable with swollen or overfilled breasts. Remember, that when the milk is present in the breasts, the production slows down. So, make sure that you remove just small amounts at a time.

- You can apply cold compress or gel packs to reduce the swelling. If cold compress or gel packs are used regularly, they are known to help in the reduction of milk production.

- If you are feeling very uncomfortable because of the fullness, you can use over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

- You should check your breasts frequently for blocked ducts and mastitis. Ifyou see anything, immediately visit your doctor.

- Do not give in to the urge of feeding your baby to relieve the pressure. This will result in more milk production.

- You should not allow your nipples to be stimulated as this will result in the activation of milk production.

You know that you have been successful in stopping production of breast milk, if your breasts remain soft for more than 24 hours.

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